Banjo



(No Model.)

'J. W. CLEMENT.

BANJO.

No. 470,986. Patented Mar. 15, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH W. CLEMENT, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

BANJO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 470,986, dated March 15, 1892.

Application filed March 7, 1891.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH 'W. CLEMENT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Banjos, Banjorines, and Similar Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to banjos,banjorines, and similar instruments; and it consists in the devices and combinations hereinafter described and claimed, the objects of which are to conceal the devices which regulate the tension of the head, to move the tail-piece with the tension-hoop, to improve the tone of the instrument, and to secure the banjo from slipping in the lap of the operator.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an isometric perspective view of a banjo provided with my improvement, the free or outer end of the neck or arm being omitted; Fig. 2, a section 011 the line 2 2 in Fig. 3 through the rims, tail-piece, sounding-bar, head, and hoops, and a side elevation of one of the tension-hooks, the holding-screw, and the tail-pin; Fig. 2, an outside elevation of a part of the outer rim, part of the tensionhoop, the tail-pin and its nut, and a transverse section of the tail-piece, showing, also, in dotted lines the upper parts of two tensionhoops and the groove in the tension-hoop; Fig. 2", an isometric perspective view of the tail-pin and its nut; Fig. 3, a reversed plan of the banjo, omitting the neck, except the part adjacent to the outer rim, and showing the nuts which secure the sounding-bar to the neck; Fig. 3, an isometric perspective view of the rest detached. Figs. at and 5 represent modifications, Fig. at being an outside elevation of a part of the rims, tension-hoop, and some tension-hooks, and Fig. 5 being a section on the line 5 5 in Fig.4; of the rims, head, and tension-regulating devices.

The neck or arm A, strings B, bridge 0, and tail-piece D are of the usual construction and operation.

The banjo represented is provided with two annular rims and an outer rim E, of metal, having an internal annular flange e integral therewith and arranged at a distance from the lower edge of said rim E greater than the Serial No. 384,076. (No model.)

thickness of the tension-nuts 7' hereinafter mentioned, the inner edge of said flange ebein-g turned up at e substantially parallel with the body of the rim E. An inner wooden rim F is arranged concentrically with the rim E and rests upon the flange e, and is rabbeted at f to receive the upturned inner edge e flush with the inner surface of said wooden rim. The outer upper edge of the rim F is provided with a groove f, arc-shaped in crosssection to receive a bearing-hoop f preferably of wire, over which the skin or head Gr is stretched. Another hoop or ring II, preferably of wire and sometimes called a fleshhoop, is wrapped in the edge of the head G, and said head is strained by pressing a tension-hoop 1, preferably metallic, down upon said hoop H by means of bracket-hooks or tension-hooks J, arranged at the usual inter vals and provided at their upper ends with hooks j, which enter an annular groove in the external face of the tension-hoop I. The shanks of the hooks J are arranged in an airspace E' between the rims E and F and extend downward through the flange e, and at their lower ends are screw threaded at j to receive nuts j which turn on said screwthreaded portions against the under side of said flange e and draw the tension-hoop I and ring H toward the flange. The tension-hoop I is wedge-shaped in cross-section or very slightly downwardly tapering externally, so that when drawn between the rims E F it completely fills the upper part of the space between said rims and prevents any rattling of the parts.

The wooden and metallic rims combine the advantages of both materials and, with the space E between them, form a sounding-chamber, which intensifies the sound of the instrument.

The sounding-bar L is a metallic rod instead of the wooden bar commonly used, and is provided at its upper end with an external screwthread Z, which engages a metallic nut Z, inserted in a recess a in the back of the neck A, and the lower end of said sounding-bar is held in place by a screw Z", which passes through the above-named flange e of the outer rim E and into or through said sounding-bar. Another nut Z is turned on said sounding-bar near its upper end against the inner face of the rim E, and with said nut Z holds said rim and the lower end of the neck firmly in contact. This construction in eifect makes the rim and neck integral with each other and causes the vibrations of the neck to be more perfectly transmitted to the rims and head.

The external surface of the outer rim E is accessible in all its parts for cleaning purposes and afiords no lodgment for dirt, but is so smooth as to he in danger of slipping in the lap of the performer. I therefore provide a rest K, (shown in Figs. 3 and 3 the same consisting of an arc-shaped piece or crescent is, adapted to rest upon the thigh of the operator and having its concave surface, if desired, lined with velvet 7a or other cloth or material adapted to adhere to the clothing, and having a leaf-spring 10 attached to the convex side of said crescent 70, as by rivets 70 about midway between the end of said crescent and spring, said spring, when the rest is detached from the rim E, normally curving into contact, or

nearly so, with the convex surface of said crescent. The outer ends of the spring 70 at the lower edge thereof are provided with upwardly-bent hooks 10 which may be placed over .the lower edge of the rim E, as shown in Fig. 3, and held thereon by the tendency of said spring to resume the shape of opposite curvature to which its elasticity tends to restore it, as shown in Fig. 3.

The tail-pin commonly used, provided at at its upper end witha hook or bend and run ning in a bracket projecting from the outer rim, may be used and may be adjusted in the ordinary manner by a nut turning on the lower end of said tail-pin against the lower side of said bracket; but I prefer to use the T-shaped tail-pin M, (shown in Figs. 1, 2, 2, and 2 the lower part of which is provided with inwardly-curved branches m m, which hook under the flesh-hoop H and are retained in place by shanks of the two adjacent tension-hooks J, which pass up outside of said I branches. The upper part of the tail-pin M passes through the usual hole in the tail-piece D and is screw-threaded at m to enter a nut m which, being turned down, said tail-piece clamps the latter against the top of the tension-rim, so that when once clamped the tailpiece moves with said tension-rim and needs no further adjustment, whereas the ordinary tail-piece requires to be adjusted in its supporting-bracket according to the height of the, top of said tension-hoop above the top of the outer rim, and hastherefore to be adjusted at each change of tension of the head.

The modified form (shown in Figs. 4 and 5) difiers from the form shown in Figs. 1 to 3 only in that the upper edge e of the outer rim E corresponding to the rim E in said Figs. 1 to 3, is turned inward under an external annular shoulder f with which the wooden rim F (otherwise like the rim F in Fig. 2) is provided, said inwardly-curved portion 6 being provided with perforations 6 to allow the shanks of the tension-hooks J to pass through them, so that while retaining the sounding-chamber and the general construction first above described the outer surface of the rim is rendered less uniform, and perhaps less monotonous in appearance.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of two rims arranged one within the other, with an air-space between them, one of said rims having an annular flange and the other of said rims resting upon said flange, a skin or head resting upon the inner of said rims, a hoop Wrapped in the outer edge of said head, a tension-hoop provided with an annular groove, tension-hooks entering said groove and provided with shanks having screw-threads and passing through holes with which said flange is provided, and nuts turning on said shanks against said flange to draw said tension-hoop toward said flange and to stretch said head, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of two rims arranged one within the other with an air-space between them, one of said rims having an annular flange and the other of said rims resting upon said flange, a skin or head resting upon the inner of said rims, a hoop wrapped in the outer edge of said skin and arranged in said air-space, a tension-hoop provided with an annular groove and arranged in said air-space, tension-hooks entering said groove and provided with shanks having screwthreads and arranged in said air-space and.

other nut turning on said bar against the inner face of said rim, the other end of said bar being secured to the opposite side of said rim, as and for the purpose specified.

4.. A rest adapted to be attached to the rim of a banjo and having a surface adapted to adhere to the clothing of a performer on said banjo, as and for the purpose specified.

IOO

5. A rest provided with spring-hooks adapted to engage the rim of a banjo and to be held in engagement therewith by their elasticity, as and for the purpose specified.

6. A rest the body of which has a concave surface to restrupon the thigh, said rest having a leaf-spring secured between its ends to said body and provided near its ends with hooks adapted to reach over the lower edge of the rim of a banjo and to be held in engagement therewith by the elasticity of said spring, as and for the purpose specified.

7. The tail-pin having a lower end adapted to engage the tension-hoop of a banjo or similar instrument and to be moved therewith and having an upper end adapted to engage the tail-piece of said banjo and to hold said tail-piece against the upper edge of said tena hole with which said tail-piece is provided and having branches adapted to reach under said tension-hook and to be held in place by the adjacent tension-hooks, and a nut turning on said tail-pin above said tail-piece to hold said tail-piece in contact with said tension-hoop, as and for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof I have signed this specification, in the presence of two attesting witnesses, this 28th day of January, A. D. 1891.

JOSEPH \V. CLEMENT.

Witnesses:

ALBERT M. Moonn, JAMES SYKEs. 

